Wednesday, November 29, 2006
The shame faced return
Where does a month go? What the heck happened to November? All I know is that I really wanted to put up some adorable video of Harrison finally walking and I kept putting it off because I have a mental block about capturing video. Anyway, all the sudden I sit down and it's been a month. I know I've got some disappointed fans out there, so I'll try to make it up to you and have a bang up December.
Dan and I have been painting like crazy. We pretty much finished the downstairs tonight if you don't count the office. He motivated me by telling me I couldn't put up the Christmas tree until we did it. I'm having a Christmas cookie exchange at my house on Thursday so my back was up against a wall.
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving. It was especially wonderful because ALL my siblings and their families were there, plus Dan and Harrison and I got to spend multiple nights at both Grandma and Grandpa G's house and Grandma Dot's house. I love that Harrison is getting such fun time with his great-grandparents.
We also just got some fabulous news--Dan's parents are going to be coming down for Christmas! I know that sounds horribly distant calling them Dan's parents--but I try really hard not to use last names since I'm paranoid about internet weirdos. It can be tough doing the no-last-name rule when everybody's last name starts with a G. So forgive me--Dan's parents--whom I love dearly are coming for Christmas! Lauren might be coming too! Yeah! I'm also crossing my fingers for a visit from my parents, but the jury's still out on that one.
Anyway, it's horribly late for me--that's right--after midnight. I'm taking my paint crusted body to bed.
Dan and I have been painting like crazy. We pretty much finished the downstairs tonight if you don't count the office. He motivated me by telling me I couldn't put up the Christmas tree until we did it. I'm having a Christmas cookie exchange at my house on Thursday so my back was up against a wall.
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving. It was especially wonderful because ALL my siblings and their families were there, plus Dan and Harrison and I got to spend multiple nights at both Grandma and Grandpa G's house and Grandma Dot's house. I love that Harrison is getting such fun time with his great-grandparents.
We also just got some fabulous news--Dan's parents are going to be coming down for Christmas! I know that sounds horribly distant calling them Dan's parents--but I try really hard not to use last names since I'm paranoid about internet weirdos. It can be tough doing the no-last-name rule when everybody's last name starts with a G. So forgive me--Dan's parents--whom I love dearly are coming for Christmas! Lauren might be coming too! Yeah! I'm also crossing my fingers for a visit from my parents, but the jury's still out on that one.
Anyway, it's horribly late for me--that's right--after midnight. I'm taking my paint crusted body to bed.
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
This one's for Mom, kid
I know last night was Halloween and my large readership ('sup Katy) is probably anticipating gobs of cute pictures of H-man eating gobs of candy, but you'll just have to wait. Believe it or not, I have been having cool things happening around here and that's what you're going to be hearing about right now.
The junior high English teacher in me had to pause for a moment here. I have a couple options as far as essay structure to choose between. Should I begin with the most exciting and then let my energy taper off, reminiscent of an inverted pyramid? Or should I really build this thing, starting with the least of the points I want to make and then let it come to a frenzied climax to help illustrate just how exciting my week has been? Hmmmm. Okay, I've made up my mind.
I got a job. Kind of. I'm going to be doing some part time proofing work for a publisher nearby. I got my first manuscript today. It's about the history of guns in America. It's still all packaged up in the front seat of my car. I just laid Harrison down and I'm going to go start on it as soon as I finish up here. I'm excited about having a little something to do, deadlines to meet, a little extra cash, etc. It's especially wonderful to know that someone is willing to pay me to read about guns. What kind of fantastic world do we live in?
On some kind of new job high, as I drove home from picking up the manuscript I (on a whim) dropped H-man off at Dan's office and went and got my hair cut. It's not dramatically different or anything; just less Laura Ingles Wilder--frontier woman-esque. About 7 inches came off of the back, but not nearly as much from the sides and front. My hair must grow faster back there. It feels good to not have as much dead weight.
These things are good. But as I look back at my week, one thing really stands out above the rest. I made chicken noodle soup from scratch. It was pretty good. Probably not the best I've ever had, but good enough for me to consider it a success. What is so amazing is that for the first time in my married life I bought a WHOLE RAW CHICKEN, roasted it, boiled it, pulled all the meat off of it, and used it in my soup. I skimmed fat. It was an important day in the Gilbert household. If I can work with an entire chicken and do the things I did to it (did you know it comes with a little packet of unmentionable meat waiting for you in the "cavity"?) then I'm pretty much capable of anything. Doors have opened for me. I carry myself with a touch of boldness and arrogance that wasn't there before. I have fought the poultry and I have come out of the fray as a conqueror. Thanksgiving dinner? Please. Bring it on.
The junior high English teacher in me had to pause for a moment here. I have a couple options as far as essay structure to choose between. Should I begin with the most exciting and then let my energy taper off, reminiscent of an inverted pyramid? Or should I really build this thing, starting with the least of the points I want to make and then let it come to a frenzied climax to help illustrate just how exciting my week has been? Hmmmm. Okay, I've made up my mind.
I got a job. Kind of. I'm going to be doing some part time proofing work for a publisher nearby. I got my first manuscript today. It's about the history of guns in America. It's still all packaged up in the front seat of my car. I just laid Harrison down and I'm going to go start on it as soon as I finish up here. I'm excited about having a little something to do, deadlines to meet, a little extra cash, etc. It's especially wonderful to know that someone is willing to pay me to read about guns. What kind of fantastic world do we live in?
On some kind of new job high, as I drove home from picking up the manuscript I (on a whim) dropped H-man off at Dan's office and went and got my hair cut. It's not dramatically different or anything; just less Laura Ingles Wilder--frontier woman-esque. About 7 inches came off of the back, but not nearly as much from the sides and front. My hair must grow faster back there. It feels good to not have as much dead weight.
These things are good. But as I look back at my week, one thing really stands out above the rest. I made chicken noodle soup from scratch. It was pretty good. Probably not the best I've ever had, but good enough for me to consider it a success. What is so amazing is that for the first time in my married life I bought a WHOLE RAW CHICKEN, roasted it, boiled it, pulled all the meat off of it, and used it in my soup. I skimmed fat. It was an important day in the Gilbert household. If I can work with an entire chicken and do the things I did to it (did you know it comes with a little packet of unmentionable meat waiting for you in the "cavity"?) then I'm pretty much capable of anything. Doors have opened for me. I carry myself with a touch of boldness and arrogance that wasn't there before. I have fought the poultry and I have come out of the fray as a conqueror. Thanksgiving dinner? Please. Bring it on.
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